Terry Francona will be managing in the ALCS after all. He'll be managing his thoughts and vocal chords in the Fox TV booth, substituting for Tim McCarver in Games 1 and 2. McCarver has a "short-term medical issue," Fox says, so Francona, recently let go by the Red Sox, will get the chance to analyze the games and, perhaps, impress an owner who might soon be in a hiring mode. Tito told WEEI that his only broadcasting experience was an Arizona Fall League game on radio "with about 12 people listening … and I [stunk]

Neither Red Sox nor Yankees fans will have to go without today on Fox's "Saturday Game of the Week" although both games start at 1:20 p.m. WTIC, Ch. 61 will televise Angels-Yankees. But Fox and Major League Baseball also gave permission to televise Orioles-Red Sox on Ch. 61's sister station, WTXX, Ch. 20. Dick Stockton and Tim McCarver will call the Yankees game. Matt Vasgersian and Jerry Remy will work the Red Sox.

> > Bud Selig postponed the conclusion of Game 5 of the World Series until at least today after it became clear the weather was not going to relent. Selig made the call Tuesday shortly after 1 p.m. Joe Buck will be informed of the decision sometime this morning. Buck and Tim McCarver did an admirable job discussing the rain's ramifications Monday but neither knew that baseball had developed a secret plan to deal with the situation. Selig said he made the decision Saturday that no World Series game would be complete unless at least nine innings had been played.

Winners Bethel Johnson: After his late catch against the Seahawks, the Patriots wide receiver might stay on the active list awhile. Al Leiter: Even a mime sounds good next to Tim McCarver, but Leiter has a real future in the broadcast booth. Carlos Beltran: Each successive postseason home run raises the stakes for the free-agent-to-be. Losers Fenway Park fans: Rained on Friday, all wet Saturday. Purdue: A costly fumble and stumble by Kyle Orton against Wisconsin.

In Connecticut, it appears the Red Sox rule on TV. The Red Sox's ratings all season, and last season too, have been much stronger than the Yankees' ratings, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise that thousands more Nutmeggers watched the Boston broadcast instead of the New York broadcast May 26. The first Red Sox-Yankees game was televised by two local stations. WTXX, Channel 20 (Sean McDonough and Jerry Remy) had the Red Sox feed and WBNE, Channel 59 (Bobby Murcer and Tim McCarver)

The Mets fire longtime TV analyst Tim McCarver, who signs on with the Yankees. Tom Seaver replaces McCarver. NESN withdraws its feed from Cox Cable on Aug. 9 after the cable company refuses to change the Red Sox carrier's status from premium to basic. The impasse continues into the 2000 season. Jim Gray grills Pete Rose in an on-field interview before Game 2 of the World Series, creating a fierce backlash against the NBC sideline reporter that culminates in Yankees outfielder Chad Curtis' snub after his winning homer in Game 3. ESPN and Major League Baseball tangle over the priority of September Sunday night telecasts before signing a long-term deal on the eve of a court appearance.

Another Saturday, another night of possibilities. Stay home in the warm confines of home and watch the World Series. Venture out into the cold, make your way to Storrs and watch the UConn women's basketball team stage its annual Supershow. Geno or the Giants? It's your choice. Supershow Celebrity emcee will be Sue Bird, one of the best players in UConn history. THE VOICE Series Color commentary by Tim McCarver, one of the most annoying voices in baseball.

This weekend's Mets-Yankees series will bounce around the dial, from channels 11 and 20 to 61 to ESPN, FX and MSG. But if The Sked had its way, they'd be broadcast by the ultimate Mets-Yankees dream team. And we'd make sure the microphone was muted for a few of the other voices we've been subjected to over the years. Here's our ultimate broadcast team, complete with pregame and postgame shows, those who couldn't quite crack the major league lineup, and those we wish were doing voiceovers for car dealerships for a living.

Before the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies met in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series Friday, Fox viewers were treated to analysis from Tim McCarver. "There is an old saying in baseball," McCarver said. "It's not how hard you hit it, it's how far you hit it." Forget for a moment that this is an old saying no one has ever said before. The real problem with the analysis is that it is like so much of McCarver's wisdom. That is to say - obvious. He also tends to restate things again and again.

At a recent Yankees game, Joe Torre was asked if the batting title meant anything anymore. Torre looked confused. The reporter clarified his question. With the emphasis now on on-base percentage, did the batting title mean anything? "Sure it does," Torre said. The very idea that the batting title, once the unquestioned counterpoint to the home run title, might not be all that significant shows how much sabermetrics -- the scientific study of baseball -- has changed baseball thinking.

Neither Red Sox nor Yankees fans will have to go without today on Fox's "Saturday Game of the Week" although both games start at 1:20 p.m. WTIC, Ch. 61 will televise Angels-Yankees. But Fox and Major League Baseball also gave permission to televise Orioles-Red Sox on Ch. 61's sister station, WTXX, Ch. 20. Dick Stockton and Tim McCarver will call the Yankees game. Matt Vasgersian and Jerry Remy will work the Red Sox.

When it comes to blending reaction with play-by-play, Fox's Joe Buck is right there at the top of the heap. He mostly keeps it light. But Buck can fire both barrels, like in January when he scolded Vikings receiver Randy Moss for pretending to moon the Green Bay crowd, calling it "a disgusting act [and] it's unfortunate that we had it on our air live." "I don't think Tim and I have ever skirted an issue or intentionally avoided a hot topic," said Buck, who will call Yankees-Mets with Tim McCarver when Fox's "Game of the Week" returns Saturday on WTIC, Ch. 61. But you might expect at least some lip service on steroids as Fox begins its 10th year as baseball's national broadcast partner.

ESPN's Sean McDonough was a determined work-study freshman at Syracuse in 1980, licking stamps and sealing envelopes in the football office. That's also where UConn coach Randy Edsall was just getting started as a determined grad assistant under coach Frank Maloney. "I reported to Randy," McDonough said on the phone Monday. "He was involved in recruiting and most of my responsibilities were in that area. I'm not the least bit surprised he's a big-time successful head coach. You could tell it back then."

Keith Hernandez was the best thing to happen to the Mets' broadcast booth since Tim McCarver. Refreshingly candid, Hernandez brought the same intensity to the microphone that he displayed in his distinguished playing career. Unfortunately, all that might be part of the past. Hernandez should not have apologized to the Mets for labeling them quitters in an Internet column. What he wrote was harsh, but to many who follow the Mets, what he said seemed accurate. Of course the Mets were going to be upset.

Winners Bethel Johnson: After his late catch against the Seahawks, the Patriots wide receiver might stay on the active list awhile. Al Leiter: Even a mime sounds good next to Tim McCarver, but Leiter has a real future in the broadcast booth. Carlos Beltran: Each successive postseason home run raises the stakes for the free-agent-to-be. Losers Fenway Park fans: Rained on Friday, all wet Saturday. Purdue: A costly fumble and stumble by Kyle Orton against Wisconsin.

262 Why the controversy? Ichiro Suzuki has hit safely more times in one season than anyone else in major league history. Nobody crushes Pete Rose's all-time hits record, so why do it to the single-season mark? 18 Consecutive wins for the New England Patriots. The Patriots may not wish to acknowledge the record-tying mark, but it remains an impressive accomplishment. 2,000 Games played by Ellis Burks, who became the 200th player in major league history to reach that milestone when he appeared as the Red Sox DH on Saturday.